Monday, 30 January 2017

I mentioned earlier on that I was going to add some freehand designs to the Megaboss’s armour. But did I really want to cover up my hard work on the painted textures? I decided to go for it but my plans for the freehands had to change.

I’d originally intended to paint designs inspired by Native American artworks. Once the Megaboss was near completion, I could see this was not going to work. The type of designs I intended to paint would be too lightweight to stand out on the chunky textured armour, as I’ve painted it. Also the Native American designs would not be anything like ‘Orky’ enough for this model.

The solution was, as is often the case, staring me in the face. I would use the established GW iconography for the Orruks. The jagged lightning/flame designs painted on GW’s Orruks were perfect. These designs are often painted in yellow and black. As I was painting them in a less contrasting bone white on red, I had to make the designs a little bolder. This also helped them to stand out against the textures.

In addition to the jagged designs, I decided to add a skull design to the back of the mini. I felt something bold was needed to break up this large area of red armour. In addition, the colour on the freehands tones in with the large skull and balances out the overall colour palette.

With the freehands done, it was time to paint the Megaboss’s base, and I was ready for the challenge. I expected it to take quite some time and effort, but I didn’t realise how much! The last couple of weeks have been a hard slog at the painting desk. I’ve had to curb my impatience in wanting to see the job finished as, in order to do it right, I have put the hours in. Added to that I’ve struggled to get the overall colour balance right. I’m suffering from Megaboss fatigue.

I really want to see the end of this project and to move on to something new. But I’m not going to do a rush job just for the sake of finishing it off. I’m very pleased with the work I’ve done on the Megaboss and I’m now going to give him the base he deserves!

Friday, 13 January 2017

I’ve recently completed the seven day art challenge on Facebook. Each day, for seven days, I had to post three pictures of my work. I decided to have a strong focus on some of my older, and more obscure, projects as my recent work has had plenty of coverage.

I’ve been a little cautious about dwelling on the past but that’s not to say I don’t value my mini painting past. I strongly believe that to know where you are going you have to understand where you have come from.

In that spirit, I’ve decided to compile these pictures of my older work and post them here. All of the photographs are taken recently. The miniatures were painted between the early 1980s and the late 1990s. They include the minis I painted before the first Golden Demon painting competitions, my entries to the first four Golden Demons, from 1987 to 1990, and the miniatures I painted in the years after.

I’ve given dates and descriptions for the models that are as accurate as memory allows.

Saturday, 7 January 2017

Some years stand out more in the memory than others and 2016 certainly made an impact! Many sad, disturbing and sometimes terrible things have happened in the world at large and it feels negligent not to acknowledge that. However, this blog is always written from my own personal perspective and for me 2016 brought many things for which I’m very grateful.

I went into 2016 with the intention of making it a ‘big’ year not least because in July I turned 50 and celebrated the tenth anniversary of my civil partnership. Winning another Slayer Sword would be the icing on the cake – or so I thought.

I can now look back on a year where I not only won two Slayer Swords but also, In September, took early retirement from work. Neither of these things seemed even remotely possible this time last year!

I may not have had the most productive year in terms of the number of miniatures I painted, but it’s been a year of achievements nevertheless.

So what does the future hold? In the shorter term I’m focused on April, which is going to be a very busy month. There is my workshop in Copenhagen and the Salute painting competition. Beyond that there is the next classic Golden Demon in May, and I’m planning to do some more workshops this year.

The big adventure for 2017 is exploring what it means for me to be a full time hobbyist. I’ve a growing backlog of unpainted miniatures (who hasn’t in this hobby?) and some exciting painting projects planned.

Who is Sproket?

I’m a Graphic Designer and Illustrator, now retired, who has become a full time hobbyist. With the exception of a few years where I dropped out of the hobby I’ve been painting minis since I was in my teens. Over the years I've won a few trophies for my painting and four Slayer Swords but my quest to grow and develop as a painter continues - there is always something new to learn!